Series 1 Articles in the Press

28 May 2012 French TV page promoting Strike Back series 1 and Spooks series 9.

Translation: MI-5. Arms dealing, terrorist threats, organized crime… the British spies are back to business. The famous section D, already seriously shaken by Ros’s death, faces new troubles when Lucas North reveals a secret past. A British series always at the top. Every Monday from 11/06/2012 at 20:55 Canal+

STRIKE BACK. A series had never immersed its audience as much in the heart of the action since “24”. How does “Strike Back” (“fight back” in French) work? One mission per episode. In season 1, John Porter, a special forces unit soldier on the sidelines since a disastrous operation in Iraq, gets the opportunity to make amends…and also to discover what really happened during the mission that damaged his reputation.

In season 2, also as enthralling, the agents Stonebridge and Marshall hunt/track down a Pakistani terrorist. A world where nobody can trust anyone, where the enemy is invisible, and where war is secretly at stake: welcome to “Strike Back”. Every Sunday from 10/06/2012, 20:55 Canal +

04 March 2012 Sunday Times: the fortunes and prospects of British actors in the film industry are discussed with two mentions of Richard at the end of page 2.

30 Jan 2011 Sat Guida TV preview of Strike Back to be shown on the FX channel in Italy

Translation: At the heart of the action

In troubled areas of the world, risking their lives every episode: Strike Back, the spy from the UK bringing 'heat' to evenings on FX. Full of adrenaline and effects without holding back: the British like it that way.

He is John Porter, and is a former member of the SAS (ultra elitist body of British special forces), dishonorably discharged seven years ago after a mission with tragic results: he will redeem himself with great cost to himself during Strike Back, from the miniseries with an exorbitant budget (we are talking several million pounds) produced by Sky1, that Fox has scheduled this month. Richard Armitage, the actor who plays him, has played a spy on the screen before of course, in the role of Lucas North, director of MI5's Section D in Spooks. Whcih is why he wanted to perform all the stunts himself (except when his character jumps from 30 metres high, the production forbid him to do that), and it is a world where he can play with sophisticated weapons (and most are realistic) in the series: training was provided on set by two genuine ex-SAS operatives. Six episodes, which are actually three films, with different stories, set respectively in Iraq (to save a journalist kidnapped by a group of Islamic extremists), Zimbabwe (to defeat a mole inside British intelligence) and Afghanistan (to capture a British hacker, responsible for the deaths of US Marines, who previously worked for the CIA). Clear, no? But with Porter in the middle, nothing is as it seems ...

The pictures are familiar: reporters or aid workers, who were kidnapped by terrorists after Gulf War II and killed later in front of a running camera. This fate also faces British reporter Katie Dartmouth (Orla Brady).

But she can hope: John Porter, a former British elite soldier knows exactly how the Iraqi terrorists tick. However first he has to persuade the chief of the counter-terrorist unit of the intelligence service MI6. And this is not easy, after Porter's former unsuccessful mission he is found to be unacceptable.

So he fights on all fronts - and this is not what you would call squeamish. The series "Strike Back", whose first part "The Ambush" will be shown today, is tough. Meanwhile the hero is fighting and shooting through hostile lines, the blood sprays on both sides. And because he stands up again after several scenes of torture, he is reminiscent of Jack Bauer, the hero of the US-series "24". The faint-hearted should switch channels.

But those who enjoy suspenseful entertainment will love the lone warrior played by Richard Armitage. In any case the Brits do, and the second series of "Strike Back" is already being planned.

Rating: 5 Stars

21 Jan 2011 TV Today magazine from Germany. Third episdode review.

Tranlsation: Strike Back - Day of Revenge. TV Action Drama. Final of the three part series based on Chris Ryan's books.

In Afghanistan MI6 agent John Porter must find computer hacker Gerald Baxter (Ewen Bremner 'Trainspotting'). Baxter hacked British torpedoes which fired on US troops. Porter passed himself off as an arms dealer to cross his path. But both of them fell into the American's hands who want to see Baxter dead.

Fast and crisply staged, nice jokes and two calculated surprises - even the last part of this British army-agent trilogy affords solid, amusing action. Bremner convinces as a 'crackpot' just as well as Armitage does as a hero. Incidentally, Armitage will play dwarf Thorin in Peter Jackson's 'The Hobbit'.

Tranlsation: TV action drama. After his mission in Iraq John Porter goes to Harare, Africa. Robert Mugabe, president of Zimbabwe, has been shot! When the gunman, Felix Masuku, gets caught he receives word that he shot the president's doppelganger. Zimbabwe's government blames Britain for the attack. The theory doesn't seem strange, beause Masuku is a british ex-soldier. Special agent John Porter, disguised as a diamond-smuggler, infiltrates the prison to free Masuku ...

The way from MI5 agent in "Spooks" to MI6 man Porter was hard for Richard Armitage: before starting to film the 39-year old actor did special training for ten weeks.

Picture captions

First pic: In prison Porter must put up with a lot.Second pic: On the run with Masuku

Blue box:

Mission successful: crisp action series

07 Jan 2011 TV Today magazine from Germany. First episdode review.

Tranlsation: TV action drama in three parts. A British elite soldier must go to the trouble spots in the world.

After a failed elite mission in Iraq 2003, SAS man John Porter quit the service. But later he comes back undercover to Iraq, to rescue the British journalist Katie Dartmouth (Orla Brady).

Author Chris Ryan was an elite soldier in Iraq and Zaire before he established himself as an successful author of war memoirs and military thrillers. "The Ambush" (German title of the episode) leans on his own experiences from the first "Gulf War". A second season is already being planned. (Repeated 3:35am, second part on 28th January)

“In the book, but not in the script, Porter has a problem with alcohol, so I’ve used that much earlier in his life. I wanted Porter’s father to be military, and this period of delinquency comes from Porter being absent when his father died. So, his route into the military was to do with atonement for his father’s death and honouring his memory.”

So imagine running smack-bang into a massive poster of yourself. Wearing army fatigues. Doing a bit of a glower. "It sort of makes your stomach churn," admits Richard Armitage – currently plastered across posters for Sky 1's Strike Back. "I saw one and I had to look away quite quickly."

"you have to give a character a family tree, think about where they grew up, how many brothers they have. I put things into the character I felt were important, reasons for joining the army and so on. It's to do with his responsibility, and I related that back to his father, something significant with his dad, which then manifests itself in Porter's relationship with his daughter in our story"

"I couldn't be further away from that! I'm the guy that's off painting and playing the cello. That's probably why it is kind of satisfying to do. It's a life I never would have chosen and will never choose, so that's why it's interesting to play the character, because it's quite far from my own aspirations."

It's a real treat to have all these scans of articles to read through. Thank you for your hard work ladies. I feel really spoilt for choice. There are some really interesting ones - particularly the Screenrush article and the one in Readers Digest.

Thank you for all the great stuff on your site. I have only briefly visited it before, but didn't realize how much wonderful stuff you have on it until now. thanks so much for sharing!

I was wondering, with all the press SB seems to be getting in the UK, has RA been doing any tv interviews to promote the show?

Reply from Ali: Not yet, but he will be doing TV and possibly radio interviews next Tuesday - see news 28 April. We know for definite that he will be interviewed by GMTV, and there will be other interviews as well.

Thanks a bunch for letting me know! I will try to keep a look out for it. It is so overwhelming staying on top of so many RA sites, but man, you are really on top of things, I feel like this can be my one-stop shopping site for all RA info, lol! Thanks again!

I love Richard but I really dont like this picture it doesnt actually look like him, think the person with the airbrush got carried away! Looks more like an advert for Gladiator. Your piccy of the day makes up for it today though.

Picture is in Independent today and there is less shadow on face then appears here. However, Richard is frowning so dislike may be subconsious in that anyone frowning at you tends to incite feeling of "something is wrong, is it me?" However, it is more dramatic and I guess smiling dressed in combats whilst leaking blood would not be authentic image

I can't say I think much of the picture in the Radio Times. He certainly looks quite different. I don't know what it is - probably the yellow background and the fact that his face is half in shadow. It's difficult to see whether someone got airbrush happy because the overall effect is so dark.

I love Richard but I really dont like this picture it doesnt actually look like him, think the person with the airbrush got carried away! Looks more like an advert for Gladiator. Your piccy of the day makes up for it today though.

The suspense is building up nicely to Strike Back. Before we know it, Richard will once more be upon us in all his angsty, action-filled, bicep-bulging, door-kicking, sandwich-guzzling gorgeousness! Ooh, can hardly wait!